Into the Twilight
by chinapeach83
Summary: Her dreams were not her own. They were the memories and aspirations of others. He had memories he wanted to forget, but never could. Tainted pasts, full of grief. With the pain, is there healing? In discovering the truth, is there room for love?
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my first fanfic. If you need any references to characters, I have it in my profile. Thank you for reading! Don't be scared to review or give contructive criticism.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own twilight. Stephenie Meyer owns.**

Have you ever had a bad dream? I mean the really scary ones that have you waking up in the middle of the night, and no matter how hard you try, never seem to leave your mind? Well, I have, and I can't seem to figure out why. So every night, I wake up and find myself soaked with sweat and gasping to catch my breath. They never stop. Never.

_Why am I here? Oh, wait, this is another dream. I looked around and saw a field filled with flowers and wild things. I was clad in a tea length white Sunday dress. There were no shoes on my feet. Sun poked through the dark clouds, playing peek-a-boo with the earth. The grass swayed in the wind like it was dancing to music that I couldn't hear. I smiled as sunlight dappled my face and made me feel warm and pleasant. Pure bliss filled my soul, so much so that I spun around like I was a kid again with the world revolving around me._

_Tall and old looking trees made a wall on the far side of the field. The set up felt like a protective force; the trees were trying to keep something out, or maybe keep me in._

_Terror arose in me as I spun around more frantically then before trying to find a way out of this now scary place. I started to have tremors, each one more violent then the one before. I choked on air, and tried with no avail to get a grip on what was happening. Then…_

_Everything went blank. There was so much raw emotion and then nothing. Each sensation was wiped clean from my senses, like a white sheet was placed over my brain. I felt as if I was floating, or maybe falling. A soft voice like the jingles of bells called out in a foreign language "_**Venite a me, siete miei eternemente" **_"Come to me, you are mine forever"_._ The words swirled in my mind then slowly faded away._

_My senses returned. Only to my own surprise, they were so sharp that the figure in front of me stood out at an alarming rate. It was cloaked with heavy red velvet that shimmered in the overcastted sunlight. An arm slowly reached for me. _

_My mind told me that I was in all capability to scream until someone found me, another part of me felt that if I stopped what was going on, I would never again be able to come back. I had made my decision. I watched in pure curiosity as the cloak fell away to reveal a hand. It might have just been the sunlight or the angle, but I noticed a slight shimmer appear on its skin._

_All too slowly I watched the hand reach for my face. The hand brushed a strand of hair away from my eyes, sending tremors up and down my body. A sharp sensation found its way into my brain. At first it was hard to distinguish as a normal feeling, but once I figured it out, I froze all over. Coldness ran throughout my veins making its way to my heart that pumped more coldness. I was afraid and scared and wanting someone to make me warm, to bring… life to what was now a numb nothingness. _

_I didn't notice I was crying until the same stone cold hand brushed the salty liquid streaming down my face. Before, its head was tilted so the hood of the cloak consumed its face. But now, I could see with a clear vision, two crimson eyes starring at me, looking with a desire that was too unbearable to reciprocate. With the desire, was also a deep sadness; one unlike any other I had known, and I had seen a lot in my lifetime._

_Land soon gave way and the figure dissipated like smoke from a firework. I was sent tumbling to a sure end I would not see. _


	2. Chapter 1 The Desire Within

**A/N: This is my first fanfic. If you need any visual references to characters, I have it in my profile. The idea for this story came from the first moment I saw Cameron Bright play Alec in New Moon. After the movie I got this idea in my head. Who is this young sadistic vampire? Why is he the way he is? And most importantly WHO IS THIS CAMERON BRIGHT? Phew, sorry, fangirl moment. I really hope you enjoy this story.**

**As many authors, I like to write with music on. So from now on, I'll post a new song that I think relates to the chapter below. For this one it is: Broken by Lifehouse**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. SM owns.**

A scream crammed my wind pipe and devoured all of the air that had once filled my burning lungs. Hair damp from sweat and constant turning hung in clumps in front of my eyes. My mind felt caught in-between dream and reality.

Suddenly I heard footsteps in the hallway. Moonlight from outside the window showed a dark figure looming in the door way. My brother stood there with a bat in hand and a sour look on his face. I tried to calm my breathing, only to realize I had been holding my breath all along.

"I would have thought the Mafia had broken in and taken you hostage," he answered, both sarcasm and bitterness crept into his tone.

"And you would have done so well to protect me with a tee-ball bat," I retorted back.

"Swing batter batter…" he chanted softly. I rolled my eyes. _He has got to be the dorkiest brother alive…wait…no, he's-_

But I was cut off because two sets of footsteps were heard through the walls of my bedroom. My eyes opened just enough to see my maid and my guardian a.k.a. my teacher were staring at me with worried looks. I slowly sat up and smiled as if everything was ok. I'd practiced that smile for seven years, and it'd never failed me.

I know he was dead. My brother, that is. He had been gone since I was nine and now I was sixteen. My dreams were the only things that kept him alive.

"The business world has no need for anything but drive and confidence. Nothing should get in the way of progress." Or so my mother told me. My definition: show weakness and you're dead. What brings down an empire like the one my mom had built from the ground up is emotional weakness.

Dad isn't in the picture because he left when I was just one, leaving Mom to fend for herself and two kids barely old enough to live without a father. My brother thinks that was when she became so ruthless and cold.

The very few trips to the office include passing employers with eyes of steel and faces as hard as stone. I don't think I've ever seen a smile in the times I've been there. That's where my brother comes in. Cameron, he was the sunshine of the family. All smiles and no worries. He and mom were like opposites. You couldn't go a day without a collision.

Cameron knew he wanted too much, but that didn't stop him. He would sneak me out after a fight with Mom. We would do stuff from concerts, to swimming in the lake, to sleeping under the stars where there were no lights to dim their brightness. Those were the days until the time Jason and Mom really went at each other.

I had come back form piano lessons early and snuck in through the back gate. It was Cameron's birthday and I had saved enough to get him something after lessons. As I approached the house, I heard screams and shouts and things being thrown. I quickly hid behind the well groomed rhododendron bushes until the back door opened suddenly. Cameron stood there wild eyed and as crazy as I had ever seen him. He stalked from the house and didn't even look back as my mom threw every possible piece of household paraphernalia out towards him. This was the biggest fight I had ever heard them get into.

Finally Mom realized he wasn't going to listen to her, so she slammed the back door. I heard the lock click; that was enough for me. _Things can only get better from here because this has to be the worse there is_.

I closed my eyes and reopened them after a few seconds thinking its ok. When I do, I saw the empty yard that once held my fuming brother, but now only holds a memory of a trip to Hades and back. I feel numb to the touch and crying would only make it worse. Waiting for him was the most excruciating pain that my heart has ever had to endure.

So I waited for him to return, to see him come back and take my hand so we could go off together and do something fun. Even if I knew it was only an illusion that masked the hurt. Hours passed and I slowly drifted into sleep. I did not dream though, only nightmares arose and never stopped.

The next day our groundskeeper found me curled up in a ball under the holly bush, clinging to his present with a death grip. He didn't even get to see his fifteenth birthday present.

After that I never stopped hoping that one day, he would come back. Then to our astonishment, three years later we found in the morning paper that he died in a car crash somewhere in England. To my amazement, Mom didn't even cry at the funeral with no body. The crash said that the fire burned most of the evidence before the police could navigate the winding roads of rural Berkshire. No, she just got colder.

Control freak that she was, she now wanted to make me one too, an exact copy of her. Maybe better since her version wasn't enough to save Cameron. Then it started: my transformation into a talking, properly programmed, and mannerly robot. Re-wired from the inside out.

**Alec's POV**

"_You wrenched children! You'll wish you were dead when I get through with you!" a drunken man's voice screeched into the night. I grabbed my sister's delicate hand in mine. It was cold, cold to the very bones. We ran in between the houses and streets we knew all too well. I lifted her hand to my mouth just as we turned onto a street that branched off the road. I let my balmy and frantic breaths deplete the icy sensation coming off her small fingers. We would need them where we were going._

_The bag of stolen goods hung dangerously close to slipping from my grip, so I reached up to slide the handles up my shoulder. Well, I guessed you couldn't really call them stolen. More like "reclaimed" goods. _

"_Alec, they're coming!" Jane whispered for my ears only. Her tone was panicked with fear rippling through every syllable. I was scared too, but I had to contain it. She needed me to be strong. Right then, my focus was on the horizon up ahead, where the last bits of golden sunlight were succumbing to the twilight. I looked to the ground to see a straight and smooth path, and then looked behind me. Jane was right. I could just make out the random flitters of light that bobbed and bounced as if on water. Torches; they were getting closer. I pulled Jane a little harder then necessary because she stumbled beside me. There was no time for apologies. They were getting closer. And the closer they got to us, the closer we were to certain death. _

_A violent cough resounded inside Jane's chest. She heaved and sputtered like a rusty old pipe. One violent spasm after another sent her lungs into a convulsion. I sent a sideways glance her way. One look was enough to tell me she couldn't go on like this. The only chance of escape now was to get to where HE had specified. The rendezvous point was just over the rocky outcroppings then down to the lake. _

_HE had given me a proposition too good to give up. Our choice: to betray the very people who had raised us or stay here where the very people who raised us had betray us. To the villagers we were the "Witch Twins" but to HIM we meant something. We were useful and had a reason for existing. He made what was once only a fool's dream a reality. In a world like this, you learned that hope was too frail to take for granted and that fear is what makes you weak. Therefore, no matter how desperate things may seem, you're only as strong as the bone that backs you up._

"_Alec, something's wrong with your back," Jane said to me. Fear was slowly creeping into panic. I needed to keep her safe, and that meant I needed to keep her calm. I quickly reached with my free hand to my waist. Then, I probed along the soft fabric of my tunic up along my spine. The familiar holes and patches felt reassuring and also an astringent reminder of the people and their means of causing the very tears to unwind. _

"_Jane, I think you are imagining things. I don't have time to play games. We need to get to HIM." I was usually never stern with her; only when need be. _

"_But Alec, it's sticking out! No, no! We need to stop. Doesn't it hurt?"_

"_Jane-"_

"_I'm not going until you get it out." Why was she being so stubborn? I wasted no time in scooping her light body into my arms. She had warned me, but I hadn't listened. An acute throbbing hit the place in between my shoulder blades. Suddenly, Jane's little body was ten times heavier then it should have been. I dropped her down and kneeled on the ground, dragging my fingers along the soft pebbles of clay and limestone. Before Jane could turn to see my strained face, I numbed my body and sent a cold wave of mist around the punctured tissue. Then, as delicately as I could, I reached behind my back to feel the soft index feathers that lead to the long wooden shaft. The arrow that had hollowed itself in my back muscle easily slipped out and clattered alongside me. At the tip, blood tinted the pile point. _

Damnit, _I thought only to myself. They were rapidly approaching. Footsteps felt through the earth, vibrations of heavy feet. One, breath, one heartbeat, one blink and they had reached us. No hope was left for us now. My brain shut off all possibilities of elusion. I would not perjure myself into thinking like a fool. _

_What little moon light that shone, cast hard shadows on our pursuer's faces. Their expressions were hard and unforgiving. A man I supposed of average stature reached for Jane with grubby fingers, rubbed hard with dirt from the long day's work. Somewhere inside me, though I did not know where, I snarled, deep and low. They would not touch her; I would die ten fold before that would ever come to pass. Jane scurried behind me, whimpering with short, staccato sobs. _

_I may not have been a lot of things to people, but I was for a lifetime vow, Jane's protector, her only protector. She meant everything to me and I would not let them take that away from me. They had taken so much already. I lunged at the man with all of my strength. He was caught off guard and stumbled back a couple paces. He smelled of liquor and smoke. That meant he had been in the pub. The pub was the perfect place to find men too drunk for their own good, and willing to start a fight._

_After the initial shock, his face contorted to that of resentment. The bystanders from the mob only stared in horror, shock, and then ominous grins. Too late and I had realized my mistake._

Oh crap.

_Either the guy who had tried to touch my sister was a giant or the others were shrimps compared to him. At full height which I had not taken note of before he was well over a foot over the rest; around six foot five to be exact. This was trouble. Now his eyes were astute with the adrenaline that coursed through his veins. The mob gave way to allow room for him. He cracked his knuckles and made a move for me._

_Weight crashed into my chest, and all of the air was inequitably taken from my lungs. My rib bones screamed in protest then snapped when they could not take anymore. The pain was there, but I took no account of it. I had more important matters to deal with. The muscles in my arms flexed out when I tried to get the large man off of me. Screams split through my ears making my back arc to see who it had come from. Among the screams was Jane's, and that was enough to get me the last bit of strength. _

_I rolled the man off of me and into the grass along the road. As I did though, a warm and wet liquid splashed face so I couldn't see. Dull thuds indiscriminately hit the ground around me. I used my tunic sleeve to wipe the fluid from my eyes. Red color had stained my shirt; it was bloods. My eyelids fluttered up and down a few times, and then when my vision cleared, I found myself in the middle of a circle of unmoving bodies._

"_Jane!" I screamed, looking at my own risk at the lifeless bodies around me, checking to see if anyone of them might be hers. When she did not answer, I screamed it again into the night._

"_Alec, I'm over here." Jane replied. I traced the small sound back to its body. Jane sat a few yards away from me. She was crying, her tears shone bright in the light of the moon. A sound like nothing else I had ever heard escaped from her lips. She wasn't crying, but laughing. She had not laughed in so long. Wait, no! I had never heard her laugh. Cackle after cackle sent shivers down my spine._

"_Jane, what have you done?" I whispered a feeble attempt._

"_Brother don't you see? These horrid men are dead. The night is young in its awakening. We are free to do as we please. No one will hurt us."_

"_You are mistaken, little child." A voice called from behind a cloak of darkness. One look in the eyes told me that the end was near._

"_Jane?"_

"_Alec, I can't see. Who is it? Alec. Alec, Alec!_

* * *

"Alec!" A voice cried waking me from my revere. Jane appeared in the marble door way as I once again was drawn back to the real world.

"They are coming. Be ready."

I just starred back at her crimson eyes, not giving any sign of moving from my spot.

"Then don't come. Make yourself part of the disgusting population of dust mites in here. How can you even stand it with all of the dust?" No response. Finally she gave up and added with a prissy Hrmph! "More for us."

I simply turned my head back to the window. Jane's footsteps faded as she went to the great hall. My memories, well more like jumbled images, were like the pieces to a puzzle that had stumped me for the past 426 years…or was it 427? Did it really matter? I was stuck in the body of an almost 17 year old. I had lost count over the past few decades anyway. Those eyes…the last person I ever saw before my memories stopped short had purple eyes. A light tint of violet pigments that faded to a gray towards the pupil. Who was this person? Why couldn't I remember anything after that moment so long ago?

I tortured my self with those questions everyday since I had changed. Sitting by the window in the library was the calmest place I could think of in this whole castle. There, I could sit in peace to sort out my problems. Who knew that the smell of leather bound books and fresh ink could be so relaxing. The place was practically my own. No one else bothered to disturb me there. Unless you were my sister, in that case Mi casa es su casa. She knew me better then anyone else, so she was right in that my thirst was taking over my sense of priority. With one last glance outside, I leaped off of the ledge and made my way down the immense halls and numerous doors.

The doors to the great hall swung open beside me as I strutted my way over beside my sister. The others were already there, waiting patiently for the next crop. For some the wait was too boring for them, so they collected groups of others to hope to strike a conversation about the same old stuff. The soft tinkle of voices filtered through the high ceilinged room with ease. For others, they stood as still as stone with faces of steel trying desperately to control the desire for blood. All went silent though when our accelerated sense of hearing caught the faint sounds of camera shutters and Heidi's cloud boots. Every muscle in my body tensed as I waited for the door to crack open.

A sliver of light spilled from the door way and in swarmed our meal. Our leader stood up to greet the purple eyed hunter.

"It seems you have gotten lucky this time," our leader said after he touched her hand to his, "There are enough for one each." The hunter simply smiled and gestured for us to come forward and claim our victims.

They attacked our group with the stealth of a predatory animal. Fangs were unsheathed and then made contact with delicate skin. The very smell of blood was enough to make me lose control. I wanted though to take my time. I felt that savoring the meal was the best way to experience the satisfaction afterwards.

I looked around for my target somewhere in the crowd. Only I couldn't find it. Every other had already found theirs and I was left with nothing. The burning in my throat could hold me back no longer. The animal inside overtook me. I lounged at the nearest human. Felix, the one who had originally claimed it, growled at me and ripped the body away. With my fangs dripping blood, I went to the next and next until most of the bodies were completely drained by the others before I could get anywhere near them. The only body with flowing red blood cells left was with Demitri. I wasted no time fighting my way between lifeless shells that were once humans over to Demitri. I attached my fangs into the sweet juice and started to refract it. Demitri however did not take light of my intrusion.

"Get off. This one's mine, get your own." Heidi had miscalculated in her gathering of the humans. I would talk to her later about this. I let go hesitantly and that was when I saw her. A beautiful face which kept those eyes. The eyes my memories had captured. I wanted them, more then anything in my entire existence. There was nothing that could get in the way now.

**A/N: Thank you for reading! Don't be scared to review or give constructive criticism.**


	3. Chapter 2 Destiny's call

**A/N: The song for this one is: If we ever meet again by Timbaland ft. Katy Perry**

**Disclaimer: SM owns.**

I took my evening shower and couldn't help crying. The water mixed with my tears to cover the tracks. At last every last bit of fear ridden guilt and water flowed down the drain.

I shouted my good-byes though Villa Luna Crescente. Mom had needed a vacation since she started working, which, much to my despair, had been forever. She decided to rent a villa down in Volterra, Italy for the whole summer. Now its sunny skies and warm nights for three whole months. Then at the last possible moment she backed out saying she had "more important things to do then relax with me, dilly dallying the summer away". Well maybe it was more professional then that, but don't tell her that.

WORK WORK WORK. The other plane ticket she had, she gave to one of her trusted tutors for me, so I won't "slack off" during vacation. Who the heck wouldn't slack off during vacation? I mean that's what it's for. Well I know one person who won't.

I gave my long brown hair a quick shake so it would dry off quicker in the warm Italian air. 6:30pm and the sun is still shined strong into my eyes. They were a weird shade of purple that sometimes looked gray. They were my only gift from Dad, except life of course.

The steps down to the streets were hard and cracked, but served their purpose. I guess that was like me in a way.

My clothes were just a thin pair of skinny jeans and cotton blousy top from some designer brand. Nothing too fancy before dinner was served. Walking down a few streets calmed my mind as the world around me flew by. The houses and cafes were so charming and quaint_. _

"_Piazza dei Priori_**" **I read aloud. The aroma of basil, cheese, and tomatoes on bread made my stomach growl. _Maybe I will ask to see if Mr. Knight can take me here one day. _Mr. Knight is my tutor/guardian/long lost cause.

I walked past missing the warm atmosphere of people talking and laughing while in good company. Too bad I was only on the outside. A dozen new and old restaurants passed me by. I turned to the left, then right, then left again looking for the street with _Piazza dei Priori_**. **Only on my fifth attempt to see where the heck I was did I begin to think I was lost. I look around to see if maybe someone could help me.

An old couple was walking hand-in-hand to my right. _A possibility_. To my left five flushed kids were playing with a soccer ball. _Only if I have to. _A woman with a cell phone was walking her dog and shouting in Italian. _Not if I want to learn some new Italian cuss words. _So I guessed it was option one.

A wide street separated me from my destination and possibly my way home. Two more steps and then I was on to the cobbled stone road. I heard Ohhhs and Ahhhs escape from the nearby tourists. They were making their way up the street and blocking my way to the old couple who were just about to turn in another direction.

Frustration overtook my feeling of panic. This was not my best night. _I could have been chowing down on linguini, but no, I was lost in Italy_. I patiently waited as the camera snapping caravan of foreigners made their way past. An extremely attractive woman in a slinky black dress and red stilettos waved on the group. Just then an idea dawned on me. If I could just ask her to give me directions, I'd be home in no time! She'd been trained to know the grounds and layouts of the city.

So my destiny changed just like that. One decision lead to another with a very satisfying conclusion. I trotted up to the woman in the dress and she stoped mid-sentence to look into my eyes. They were a strange, but similar shade of purple that resembled my eyes. She smiled then said, "Posso aiutarvi? Oh sorry, what's wrong, love?"

"I seem to have lost my sense of direction. You see, I'm not from around here. Can you please give me directions to Villa Luna Crescente? Sorry, I don't know the street name," I managed to get out.

Maybe if I sounded older, I could be taken seriously. She simply smiled with a much used and professional smile. I couldn't sense any annoyance in her tone of voice, or pity for that matter. She just answered with, "Hi sweetheart. My name is Heidi. I'm going that way, so you can tag along and I'll point you where to go once we get there. It's jusy around the corner on our last stop on the tour. Don't worry; I've been lost a couple times myself. Meanwhile, have some fun and enjoy the tour of Volterra. We only have two more quick stops, so there'll be no charge."

_This has got to be a rip-off _was my first thought. But what other choice did I have? Now not only was I confused out of my mind, I was following a stranger to who the heck knows where. "Keep it together please. Ahh, here we are. These are the salt springs of Moie where you can find a rich abundance of minerals..." Heidi announced as we walked past what I thought was the most beautiful body of water I had ever seen. The surface shimmered like a million facets of a diamond. A cool blue hue looked refreshing after the long walk I'd had.

Tall and rustic looking Villas soon gave way to more compact featured buildings. People bustled around with not a care in the world. Here, it was…peaceful. Unlike home thousands of miles away where the lights were always too bright and there was too much stress combined with never enough time. It was like a virus had inhabited itself inside everyone's brain. It made every single detail explode with speculation which was fueled by prejudice.

Heidi continued with her comfortable monologue about Volterra. "Even though Verona lies far beyond our borders, we still have been influenced by the architectural beauty. I still think the greatest love story of **all time **should get some credit. This fountain" - and sure enough a massive stone fountain with a tiered center pillar and expansive basin rose to greet us -"is made of the same stone used to make the wall where Juliet has helped troubled lovers through letters. Some say it works just the same if you make a wish in this fountain. So all you romantics, take a moment to rest up before our last stop on the tour."

As soon as she was done, all of the people in the tour set out to look around and make wishes in the fountain. _So many people need help with love? Oh, well I guess I should look at the one who's talking. _I was not a superstitious person to begin with or had had any luck in the world with boys, so I went to examine the gigantic clock tower. The sheer splendor of the thing was enough to out do Big Ben. I looked up at the clock's face and saw that I had exactly twenty minutes to get back before dinner. _I need to move it if I want to make dinner in time. _

I turned abruptly around and collided with a boy behind me examining the clock. My nose made contact with his chest and the only audible word from my mouth was a muffled "oof". _Very classy. _Thoroughly embarrassed, I straitened myself out to see who I had bumped into.

This was no boy, but one heck of a man my mind surmised. In front of me was 6 ' 1 " of pure sunlight. He had the kind of skin that never let go of a bronze tan. Golden hair fell in loose locks that framed his chiseled jaw. He had broad shoulders that tapered to a tiny waist. You could tell he worked out often because I could just make out the lean muscles below his cotton T-shirt. He smiled for a minute at me and I thought I was blinded by his radiant teeth. The skin crinkled easily around his eyes as if it was always in use. He couldn't be a day over seventeen. What really got me though, were his warm dove brown eyes that showed flecks of gold in the glint of the sunshine.

"Mi dispiace," _I'm sorry _he said with an Italian accent. His voice was as deep and sweet as caramel. A smooth talker. He didn't look Italian though, more like California beach boy maybe, "Are you ok?"

"No, I'm the one who should apologize. I'm the one who bumped into you." I injected quickly.

"You should be more careful then. You don't know what is lurking in these streets. Especially at night. Things can get pretty scary for a little girl like you."

_Ouch. Did I look that vulnerable? _

"Oh thanks. Should I call you if the big bad wolf decides he wants me instead of prosciutto? " He laughed at that. Who was this guy? Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Heidi standing on the edge of the stone fountain. In freaking four inch heels! I guess she was more afraid of the fashion police than falling off a fountain ledge. She cleared her throat as if she was about to speak. "My tour guide is about to leave so-" I tried to say to this man, but I was caught off guard by his question.

"I didn't catch your name. I'm Marcello but everybody calls me Marc, like Mark because it looks the same. Typical of the mistake of the ignorant. What's yours? Who knows, my services might come in handy," _wink_ Who has been slipping stuff into_ his _lemonade?

Just then Heidi called out to everyone, "Alright people! Our last stop is Volterra's own castle, located in the heart of the city. It rises at 1770 feet above sea level…" blah blah blah marble blah blah blah antique. Last stop so I should be home in no time. Marc was still waiting for an answer, but the group was already moving forward and I didn't need to get lost again, even if Marc was more then willing to play chauffeur.

"I've got to go. Umm…bella note!" I shouted over my shoulder. Damn, tour people can walk fast. By the time I get my bearings they were almost out of sight. I only took three steps before I felt a warm hand grip my right wrist. My heart dared my body to look back. Sucker like me, I took it. Marc was standing there with a slightly embarrassed expression as if he had done a bad thing and was about to be punished like a little boy. His grip loosened until just a tingle was the only sensation my entire arm felt. Either from lose of blood or his touch, I still was not sure.

"You owe me at least your name for bumping into me. If you tell me, we're even. Fair enough right?" He could be a creepy stalker person or a serial killer, but if I just answered then it would be faster then arguing. I sighed then met his muddy brown eyes.

"It's Aerie. Short for Aerianna. I know it's weird..." I felt like I was at a Ping Pong match the way my head was nodding back and forth between Marc and the group (or what was left of it).

"No no! Un bel nome! Well Aerie, I can promise you this: we will meet again," Is he a psychic now? "Where do you live?" Ok, so he _is_ the creepy stalker person! Damn, I shouldn't have given him my name. _This guy could be dangerous; I've got to get out of here now._

"I believe I've paid my debt. Goodbye Marc." He smiled once more. Blonde curls fell in his eyes. It took every ounce of sheer will not to brush them away. Then the unexpected happened and it set my cheeks ablaze with fire. Marc reached for my hand again and planted a full-blown-Hollywood kiss on my wrist joint. His lips were as light and soft as a butterfly.

"Arrivederci Aerie, alla prossima volta_," Good bye Aerie, until next time. _And with that he walked, well, more like strutted away. _I'm beginning to like Italy._

* * *

Finding the castle wasn't hard, but finding the group? That was close to impossible in a HUGE castle with umpteen rooms just waiting to swallow me whole. So what do you do? Call ghost busters? No, don't be silly. Wait for divine intervention? Nah, it'd take too long. Ask the reception lady? BINGO

It took all my strength to get the front door open. Inside, the cool air hit me and a breeze flowed past as the door quietly clicked closed behind me. Marble columns split the foyer into three separate sections. The last of the sunlight sent golden rays down to the cool marble walls through the high glass ceiling. A woman of middle age with wavy brown hair and bright colored eyes smiled at me.

"Welcome to Volterra! Can I assist you in any way?" she said from behind her desk. I saw her eyes shift in what looked like recognition, even though I had never seen her before. Her lips twitched up slightly and she tensed a bit. "Heidi said that she had a straggler. If you would please follow me, I will catch you up to the group."

This was getting to the point of discomfort. I could just as easily ask for directions from this woman. Dinner was waiting -even if that meant an awkward exchange of limited words among me and my tutor- and so was a route out of this madness.

"Um, madam? Could I um…wait, wait up!" I called to get her attention. She was, however to my displeasure, walking in the opposite direction of the front door. I cringed afterwards as my words were repeated back to me in the echo that reverberated off of the stone walls. What's-her-name trudged on without even a glance back to see if I was following. Obviously, she was ignoring me and expecting me to follow. What other choice did I have at the moment?

My chances were slim to none at getting home right at this moment…

After I thought for sure I'd been duped by what's-her-face, we came to stand in front of two massive wooden doors. _Great, Alice in wonderland here I come. Down the rabbit hole!_

"Please follow the hallway once they open these doors (when she said 'they' I had not a clue in the world what that meant). Your tour group will be there once you get to one last set of doors at the end of the hall. I'm sorry for this inconvenience. Make sure to come back and visit us soon!" There she goes using plural pronouns. The creaks of the doors as they opened wide made me wince inside. They seemed to swallow me whole.

From starring at the double doors I turned back to…the receptionist? Her? It, possibly? _I have got to get better at names._ She smiled at me and nodded her head for me to go forward. Her face was a mixture of sadness and fear- both of which I could relate to- but then I detected something that I didn't notice until now. She was…pitying me.

I couldn't ask why, only give a feeble smile (more like a muscle twitch in my facial tissues) and hope it was enough. The doors were open and I started my way down the hall. It only took me five steps to remember I had forgotten to thank her. She had been so nice and I was in her debt.

Quickly, I pivoted back, but she was gone, back behind the heavy wooden doors. She probably wanted to get back to her desk. I wouldn't blame her. It was freezing in here. Maybe paper work wasn't so bad…yeah right.

No one else was around in the bleak lighted hallway. My breath came out in huffs, small and white as they dissipated. No amount of friction from my hand to arm contact could warm my now numb body. I could tell you, though, that I'd rather freeze to death than burn. Even when I was little, a burn from the stove was much worse than a chill from being out in the snow too long. What's scarier to you: an open flame or an ice cube? Point taken.

_Wow, now that I have had time to look around, this place really isn't so-_

A blood curdling scream made its way to my ears, but not before my heart stopped and my stomach dug its way to China as it dropped. The sound was then joined by a chorus of other screams. Some I could tell were children's with their soprano pitch while others were those of full grown men with their deep alto tones.

Trying to outweigh the worse case scenario with a rational explanation was harder then I thought. Either the world was ending without my knowledge, or Heidi had pulled a fast one on the group with her crude sense of irony, or someone was in danger. And I mean serious danger. My mind told me no: Better safe then sorry; my heart told me: at least see if you can help; my soul shouted like a Yankee fan at a game: BRING IT ON!

My legs were agreeing with me heart and soul today, so I ran towards what I thought was the source of the sound. Muscles flexed; lungs inflated and deflated; heartbeats accelerated; eyes franticly searched the corridor. The sounds were fading, so I began to relax. Then a bitter cry was uttered. How it could have even been kept inside someone like that was beyond me.

It was enough, though to get myself to the two doors the lady had specified in her directions. I pushed my way through and met what was the most horrific sight in my entire life.

I surmised that I was in a great hall with a high ceiling and marble elements. Through the mass of people in the room, I could just make out three chairs in a triangular formation. The point was the chair closest to me.

The people in the room, though, looked like they were dancing in a ballroom. These people were beautiful. Perfect pale features were encompassed with dark suits and for some, cloaks. It was very medieval, but then again dress suits weren't in the picture quite yet.

To each was a tourist of all different sizes and shapes and ages. There was no music, of course, but I was sure if you concentrated hard enough, there was a method to the madness. I noticed too late that it wasn't dance, but murder. These creatures were holding onto the tourists by only their necks. Terror struck me like a deer on the highway. I ran, with no idea where I was going.

_Away from this, safety, sunlight, warmth, life itself_. That was what I was looking for, but couldn't seem to find here. No, it was a place of death and the cold.

_Get away, run, move_! My brain frantically commanded my noodle legs to work. They finally did and I could hear my converse squeak on the marble floor. My mind was a blur of visions: A step towards the huge wooden door, the golden handle harassing me because I couldn't get a grip, my arm extended, fingers brushing the cool metal. Then I felt something against my legs. The ground flew all too quickly up to my face and I felt the cold substance of the marble. Adrenaline over rode my feeling of pain. Though, I could feel a dull ache in my left foot, too early to figure out if it was anything serious. With each second, the pain was expanding and so was my awareness of it and its extent.

There was also something sticky and wet and warm on my fingers as I scrambled feebly to get up. The contact with the liquid when I fell sent me skidding into the door. I was fighting so hard with myself to not pass out. Black smudges at the edge of my vision threatened to take me away. I looked at the motionless form in front of me and cringed.

Red, metallic smelling liquid coated my fingertips. Then the pieces snapped together. The reaction was enough to make me dizzy. If you knew me, I wasn't the kind of person who lived under a rock. Hibernated there occasionally or when necessary but I wasn't stupid. These so-called creatures were

_'Vampires_..."

It was barely audible to even myself. The screams had faded to just a dull moan from a couple of people. One other person seemed to be praying the Rosary. Sadly, the truth was that it wouldn't help here.

The helpless form in front of me was that of a tourist in my group. A pool of blood surrounded her body as well as mine. She had to have been only in her early twenties. Blood covered her clothes which were only a pair of jeans and a plaid shirt. Dots of all different colors were splattered randomly on the sleeves. She must have been an artist looking for inspiration, only to meet her doom.

More and more lifeless husks of people were strewn across the great hall. I was on the edge of crying when I spotted a little girl lying in her white sundress now her burial gown tainted a crimson sunset.

You would have thought by now that everyone would be dead, but that wasn't the case. A smaller vampire was still holding onto one of the tourists. Thankfully he was turned away from me so that I wouldn't have to see the pain in its face as it died by the hands of that creature. A blur in my already murky vision became apparent in my peripherals. Then a figure attached itself to the poor man who had already been claimed. The other vampire-the one who had originally taken this man- snarled in a deep voice, "Get off. This one's mine, get your own." I'm guessing by the way he looked at the other vampire meant I-don't-share. The other let go tentatively, his perfect white fangs slid back to their places. I could see him scour the room, looking for his next victim. That just so happened to be me.

One moment, my eyes locked on his: two flaming bright burgundy irises and a dark void for a pupil, then I felt two stone hard arms slither their way around my waist. His hold was suffocating. Sweet breath of mint and vanilla caressed my neck as his hair tickled from behind my earlobe. It was so soft. If I was going to die, then at least, as my dying wish, I had to touch that hair and feel it between my fingers.

My chance came and I took it. His lips pressed against my skin where my neck met my shoulders and I in turn reached for his face. His skin was cold on my fingertips. The nerves there must have exploded with signals. A cold hand came up to rest on mine. Long fingers brushed my knuckles then took their places in between my own. The planes of his face were solid and I could tell he had high cheekbones. His eyelashes-which I guessed were very long- flittered along the tip of my pinkie. He must have closed his eyes because he relaxed. I wanted to remember this moment, not because I was terrified and scared beyond repair, but this feeling I had was one of my happier ones. I closed my eyes, too.

"Alec stop! " cried a voice, ripping me from my unconscious state of mind. I opened my eyes to see who had stopped my death sentence. Beside me "Alec" growled deeply.

A man stood in front of me. He had ebony black hair that was cut off at the waist, and skin clear as saran wrap. He smiled a toothy smile of perfectly aligned white teeth and clapped his hands. Hard to believe he was a killer beneath the presence of a gentle grandmother type. That was only if you were going on first impressions.

"To what pleasure are we to have you, my dear?" he said gently as if to cover up the fact that a moment ago he had literally sucked the life out of someone. I tried to speak but I could hardly breathe with Alec holding me so tight against my will. He seemed to take my fidgeting as a hint to loosen up on his grip. He loosened up just enough to let me breathe. I couldn't formulate a full thought much less a sentence. That was enough to get things into motion once again after the standstill that seemed to make time itself stop- something that these vampires knew all to well.

"Santiago? Would you be a gentleman and clean this up? Felix, will you help him please? Ah Jane, will you get…" He looked in my direction and I realized he was waiting for me to tell him my name. He was very patient because it took me a few moments to get myself together.

"Aerie, or Aeria if you prefer it sir…" I told him. It didn't sound very convincing since you could barely hear the ending. I was so nervous that I let the end of my sentence drop to a whisper. His eyes lit up instantly.

"What a unique and interesting name. Is it derived from anything?"

"Aerianna."

"Oh lovely…"

"Aro, please stick to the point," said the monotone man in the throne to the left of the middle throne- who I guessed belonged to Aro. He had the exact same color hair and blood red eyes, but that's where the similarities stopped. Aro had the excited and lively personality, while this vampire had the exact opposite. He seemed to be the bored and apathetic one from the facial expression, or rather lack of.

"On my, yes thank you Marcus. Jane, dear, would you get Aerie a spare cloak? She seems absolutely freezing."

It was true. Alec was cold to the touch. Considering that and the fact that the very room had _marble _and was _underground_ led me to realize that my teeth were chattering away.

The one-Jane- left the room with a, "Yes, Master." and a slight scowl. It was the same facial expression only to a different degree for the person on the right throne of Aro. He had bleach blonde hair cut off at the chin line. It only made his face seem harder. His eyes though, burned into me. Quickly, I turned away from his piercing gaze and onto something-if anything- else.

Santiago and Felix both hurled bodies over their shoulders. Their superhuman strength allowed them to carry four to six bodies at a time. All of those lives lost, with some just beginning theirs. The images of the artist and the little girl popped up in my brain. Pain, like needles, pierced my heart and then was forever submerged inside my memory. I decided it was not my duty to cry for them. I hardly knew them. Their own families and friends would do enough of that. This was a private matter to which was not mine to intrude.

Then why did the tear fall from my eye so easily?

A sharp sob escaped my parched lips. A sore ache manifested itself in my torso. I looked down to see two arms still twisted like a pretzel around my waist. Alec was still holding on_. Control yourself._ My hand came up to wipe the salty liquid from my burning eyes. When my vision cleared, I could see Aro- who stood in front of me witnessing my embarrassing fragility this whole time- nod his head almost imperceptivity.

"This is our way. I am so sorry you have had to watch this sight. Sometimes when we feast"- he cut himself off and pondered a moment to rephrase his last word- "replenish our needs, things can and tend to become quite messy. But now you have been exposed to our existence. This is a secret only shared by the vampire world. Not to humans like you. Sometimes there is the occasional uprising to which we burden ourselves to extinguishing. But for most of the past millenniums, our secret world has been shut off to others. Knowledge slipping out to the outside world could very well cause our destruction. We wouldn't want that, would we?"

He smiled a grin so big, it was as if someone had given him the key to a blood bank. I could tell that the question was rhetorical so I simply kept my gaze steady on his.

"You have to choose one of two options. The first, unfortunately being,-"

"We kill you so we can stop wasting time," said the blonde one from the right, interrupting Aro mid sentence. I felt- before I could hear- Alec growl. A low and menacing sound vibrated deep from within him. I involuntarily shivered sending spasms down my spine and sending my nerves into a frenzy. My vision snapped to see him, smug as a 1000 year old bug, sitting comfortably in his plush little throne. Arrogance and contempt oozed from his perfect features. I flitted my eyes back to Aro to see his reaction. His mouth twitched slightly, but otherwise his composure remained as flawless as the rest of him.

"I can assure you, brother that I am in the upmost control of this situation. Unless you otherwise have a different opinion? You wouldn't want another 'session' again would you, Caius?"

More rhetorical questions. I guess power and intimidation were enough of an answer in this world. The worse of the worse probably couldn't compare with what Aro was talking about, but it was enough to shut Blondieboy up over there. If it was possible, Caius just simmered with even more anger. Guess who it was focused on? Haha got to love rhetorical questions. I bet if you gave that guy lasers for eyes, the world population would decrease considerably.

"Option two is you join our little family"-and he said family loosely-"to see if you become useful to us. Of course, if you do not seem to be adequate, we will have no other choice but to destroy you. A sad ending really, which I have come to dislike. It is your choice."

I gasped. Become one of them? What about my mother? She would surely disapprove of this. ALL of this. Ever since I was little she had had the control over my life. It was like a helping hand guiding you in the darkness, only my mother was the one who put the bandana over my eyes. I scanned the room full of vampires. Death certainly was in intriguing option, seeing that my life had been something of a pretend fairy tale taken to the extreme.

Snow White meets Dracula would make for a very interesting movie. Not necessarily an evil step mother, but a very controlling and over protective one. As for Dracula, he wasn't the buzz cut string-bean with a goatee and cape, but really a beautiful creature with human proportions of perfection. Dracula even had minions. I would call them "Dracmons".

"Answer human!" Caius spat out at me. Apparently he was braver then I thought. I took a deep breath and answered.

"I choose to become one of you."

"Wonderful. I am absolutely delighted. Aerie, welcome. Welcome to the family and welcome to the Volturi."

**A/N: thank you for reading!**


	4. Chapter 3 eHarmony for vampires

**A/N: I thought this song would fit nicely: Break your heart by Taio Cruz**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. SM owns.**

Aro held his hand out expectantly: palm slightly tilted and open. I wondered how his skin would feel against mine. Would it be cold like Alec's? Would it crinkle like tissue paper? Did he ever wash his hands? Ok thousands of years might do some damage in the germ department.

I tentatively moved my body forward. The stone arms that had been my iron gates opened, allowing me to have possession of my own legs again. I finally got to evaluate my current condition. My whole right side was covered with blood that was now drying to form a thin outer crust on my clothes. Converse, in my opinion, was the best shoe ever invented and now mine lay in ruins. The flimsy canvas fabric had absorbed the blood and made the black shade become an even darker shad of ebony in some spots. I was quickly disappointed that my hair, which had just been washed, hung in bloody clumps. My newly formed map of bruises, cuts and scrapes of my body was extensive. Every square foot of my skin had at least three bruises and numerous scratches, though none were deep enough to be serious.

I couldn't feel them now, but I bet come morning, I'd be as sore as hell. My biggest concern was the acute throbbing in both my head and my left foot. The headache could easily be doused with the proper medicine, but for my foot there was nothing.

Cautiously, I tested out my other foot first just in case. It was just fine. The next step though was a little more difficult. As soon as an ounce of weight was put upon it, pain shot through my whole body. It was as if my ankle was the practice board for throwing knives. Only, every knife hit the target with exact precision. I tasted blood in my mouth where I bit my lip in an effort not to scream and keep my face controlled.

Warm breath tickled my throat when I exhaled, and then before I could embarrass myself, I moved forward towards Aro. He and the rest of the Volturi wanted to see if my "abilities" could pass their expectations. Pain was a weakness and I wasn't about to show it here. If you tried hard enough to think about something else, then you could distract yourself from the pain. So I thought of wiping that devil glare off of Caius's face. When I finally stood a pace in front of Aro, I extended my hand out to his and he took it in both of his and pulled me closer to him. Gently, he caressed my palm and fingers with a strange and calculating look on his face. That moment could vie for the strangest hand shake in my entire life. His touch was strange almost like I couldn't feel him. I felt numb…that was strange. All sense of touch was wiped clean from my brain, replaced with an eerily anesthetized buzz. Had my trick worked? Or had my fall caused a concussion that whacked my entire nerve system? I couldn't be sure, so I dismissed the worst cast scenario where I had lost it the moment my head hit the marble.

A smile escaped from Aro's lips. What the-?

"Interesting, interesting indeed. This is splendid. Now you all are dismissed. I will have a talk with my brothers. Oh and Alec, please let go." _Let go? He wasn't holding me anymore. He was halfway across the room. Maybe I am crazy, but not as crazy as Aro. _Alec chuckled behind me, but I could see no humor in this particular moment. Then it hit me like a truck to a pedestrian. The pain in my foot, as well as everything else, returned to me. My brain seemed to explode with a sharp stinging sensation. The nerves connected throughout my body felt like interstate 101 with rush hour traffic signals. Aro looked like a woman in front of me with my vision going fast. The blurry figures soon faded away past my eyelashes. The last sensation I felt besides the pain, was two rough arms catch my rapidly dropping figure. For all I knew it could have been the floor because both were very, very solid…

**Alec's POV**

It is usually said that people look younger and peaceful when asleep. With this new girl Aerie in my arms, though, it was not the case. Aro and I had both lunged for her after I had let go. Even though I was farther away, I still was able to catch her. But now, her beautiful face was contorted into something that I had never seen before. She looked aged and burdened with knowledge locked in the unfathomable cavities of her subconscious. The lids that closed over her purple eyes seemed to scream for me to lift them and make whatever torturous hallucination that swarmed in her mind go away. Aerie's brow was furrowed, and her lips lay heavy with unspoken words. Whatever she was dreaming about was surely an unpleasant apparition. Besides being covered in blood, she was sweating like a horse. Her clothes clung tightly to her body where the perspiration had soaked through. Then I remembered her injury to her left ankle. I had tried to make the pain go away, but Aro had read her thoughts and could "hear" that she was under my spell. That must have been why her face was so rigid when I dropped the mist. I tried to make sure she would move as less as possible, so that her ankle might not be disturbed.

"Alec, would you follow Sculpicia and take Aerie to her room? She and Athenodora will clean her up," Aro said to me. I looked behind me to see both of the wives waiting patiently by the double doors leading out to the castle. Sculpicia had a slight grin to her face and as for Athenodora, she looked the same as always with a expression of total emptiness. The two wives of the ancients were like the total opposites. Therefore, they got along well and never left each other's company for very long. They were like mothers to us in their own peculiar ways, so I would trust them to take Aerie and put her in the best care. Who knows what would happen if she was to be taken care of by Heidi. The very woman sent grown men to the edge of sanity.

"Yes, master." The long walk to her room would certainly do me some good.

**Marcus's POV**

They left with silent footsteps, never once looking back. They were so young. Only newborns when it came to their comprehension of this known universe. To them, it was all a game. The target is chosen and set. The hunter gathers his best weapons in hopes of attaining the fine specimen that he thinks is his by simply claiming that it is. It is a hit or miss situation. When the hunter comes back with his prize, he may brag to others. But satisfaction is short lived. Next there will be a new target and an even bigger prize. Man's mind enjoys testing its limits, ignorant of the consequences. Saying that something is yours does not make it so. But my young associates, they did not know that little known fact, and I did not blame them. It was a hard lesson to learn.

Time is not a healer in any way. No, in fact it is a means of escape and evasion. Time will build upon the ever so increasing desperation. Forgetting the past is only an illusion put on as a cover up. A scar does not go away if you simply apply makeup. No matter how much you try to cover it up, it is still there. It serves as a blatant reminder to those who carry its burden. Time is a revealer, a paver of destiny, an infinite counter of the moments that become our lives. That in retrospect may be pleasant to some people, but not to me. I have seen its dark side, the endless abyss where hope is a far away dream that is not reality.

Time, in all of its glory, is a thief.

I can verify that fact because it stole the one thing that meant more to me than one's own life. It was that of my true love.

Because of what I am, I cannot break free from its grip. Only hope to hold on before I too cease to see the truth and give in to the temptation.

"Brothers, let me start by saying that Aerie has broken the mold. In all of my centuries, I have not seen anything like her. The thoughts she possesses are not her own. She has seen the whole spectrum of human emotion while not even knowing it. In her dreams are the memories and aspirations of others. A true gift it is."

"Of what use would she be to us then?" retorted Caius incredulous.

"My powers have their limits. I can only 'hear' someone's thoughts. She can 'see' them. A brainwashed person might not remember correctly, but she can see into their memories. Just because someone thinks one thing does not make it true. Take the classic brainteaser as an example, the one with the vase and two people's profile. Someone may think that the picture represents a vase. On the other hand another may think it is two people's profiles. People believe what they can see and base assumptions on that alone. That's where Aerie comes in. I can only believe that the person saw a vase because they thought it wholeheartedly was, where as Aerie can see the vase as well as the profiles."

"Let me see it I can get this straight. She can verify what you are assuming is true just because she can relive that person's experience from another point of view?"

"Exactly! She can see if a person is lying to the person under her spell. Like when Victoria lied to that kid Riley. He believed her from the get go because he loved her. If Aerie were to have probed his memories, she would have a clear mind because she would not be blinded by love. She would be able to catch Victoria by analyzing every single mannerism and slip up in her act. I only focus on the brain and its perceptions, but she can peer into the person's very soul. She can relive a person's memories, feel the emotion, and as a result see the imprints one makes on their very being."

"That is quite a talent. How does she go about controlling her power?"

"I do not know. It seems only at night she see things. She doesn't appear to have full control over her aptitude. It has something to do with her past, for it is very unclear. Her mother is very human, but her father seems different in some way. He left her when she was just a child, so her thoughts are quite vague. From what I recall, she doesn't know what he looks like."

"This means that we need to get hold of her past. How do we go about doing that?"

"Secrets are brought forth by trust. Trust is brought forth by bondage of one's particular relationship with another. Marcus, what is your say in this since you are the person who senses relationship ties? What relationship is the strong enough to the point of total trust?"

They finally decide to let me in? I did know the answer, but it was not a pleasant one at that. I answered with great caution.

"Friendships are very strong. Family ties are even stronger. The one true bond that I believe will gather trust, for I have felt it, is love."

"But are not all ties from love?" Caius asked confused. He did not know of the bond of true love, only of hate and fear.

"No, not regular affection, but the true love of soul mates-"

"Well then," Aro said as he clapped his hands interrupting me, "We will just have to get Aerie a mate. Who are eligible and the most compatible?"

"Perhaps Felix, he has not found his mate yet." Caius offered.

"Oh yes, he is perfect! I shall arrange the wedding right away!" Aro replied gleefully. He knew so little. I pitied the man.

"And so they shall not. He has no feelings for women of this generation in particular. He thinks too little of the young and weak. He is also quite frankly, of a different level of intellect."

"Possibly, Demitri? He has not yet been confounded by love's blind bidding." Caius offered again with an air of annoyance because he was proved wrong. His patience was running thin.

Aro picked up where he had left off in the state of giggling fits and giddiness only to be let down yet again by my interjection. I loved him, but he was just like a remote control. On, off, pause, play and he would start where he had originally stopped.

"Again you are mistaken. He is smarter, but too set on a goal to let love in. He is a tracker; therefore he has only one objective at a time. Looking for love while looking for an enemy would ultimately confuse him beyond that of repair. Then he would be of no use to us."

"This is ridiculous! Surely SOMEONE will catch that sniveling human's eye! Is she not worthy of the Volturi's liking? Does she not care for anyone at all?" Leave it to Caius to have every sentence end in a volume level rising.

"Peace, brother. Marcus, who would you suggest since it was your idea to begin with?" Aro inquired gently. Finally, my say in the matter.

"It is our dear Alec. He fits the criteria well. He is like in age, values, dreams, tolerance, intelligence, and interests. I must say, he is very agreeable-"

"Splendid! Now we can-"

"Aro, I wasn't done. There is a crucial detail that you are missing and only I can perceive to tell you."

"And what may that be?" Caius said, calmer now.

"The very destruction of what we have sought to erect. I will promise you this; she will sooner or later sever her ties with Alec. All of the trust she will save for him will be devoured in a second."

"Oh why will this come to pass? What will she do wrong?" Aro asked, curiosity making his voice rise in pitch.

"It will not be her fault, but Alec's entirely."

"Why?" Caius questioned, as clueless as Aro. I was about ready to facepalm myself. These two did not get this at all.

"Because, he will break her fragile heart into pieces."

**A/N: Duh Duuh Duuuuuuuh! ****Sorry this is shorter. I wanted to update ASAP because my mind is whirling with ideas. Hope you liked it. If you did review please! And thank you again for reading!**


	5. Chapter 4 Waking Up

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated. I've been busy with some school year preparations. So here is chapter 4. Alec and Aerie meet up for the first time since "dinner". It starts off with her dream of the past. So, without further adieu, the story continues! Song: Shattered by Trading Yesterday.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. SM owns.**

"_Cameron?"_

"_Up and at'em! You're wasting the day away!" Cameron shouted through my doorway. My brain slowly shed the foggy layer of confusion as I remembered what day this was. It was the morning before the day of his birthday, and the last time I would ever see him wake me up. This particular dream was recurring. Each moment I could recall with great clarity. No matter how hard I tried, the conclusion would always be the same. Cameron would leave us and I would be left alone. Like father like son._

_I was tangled in a mess of sheets and comforter. My hair lay across my pillow in complicated swirls and early breaking sunlight peeked through the two windows. I opened one eye, peering out to see him lunging forward with both arms straining against the door frame. His hair was wet with morning shower droplets. A warm smile spread across his lips, easily absorbing all of my drowsiness. I closed my eye and pushed my sheets over my head, hoping he would catch on to my game._

"_Hmmm where did Aerie go?" he asked facetiously. Then he continued to stride into my room looking for me. "She's not in the closet, or in the sock drawer, or in the pillow tent. Where could she be?" he asked making exaggerated sounds as he rummaged through my things. I giggled with delight, and then realized I shouldn't have been making any noise. He noticed right away and took extra big steps to stand beside my bed. His shadow shone as a dark silhouette from behind my flowered cotton blanket. I strained every muscle not to move, and my hand pressed tightly against my mouth, not trusting my vocal chords to remain silent. The outline of his body widened as he bent down, and then disappeared altogether. It took every part of me not to sneak a peek from behind my warm cocoon to peer out over the edge of the mattress._

"_Not under the bed so she must be… right here!" he yelled, grabbing the covers and yanking them off. I cringed with the sudden cold. He had found me. Bliss bubbled inside my soul as he tickled my sides. Giggles fell loosely from both our lips as time seemed to slow around us. A warning voice wafted up the stairs in into both of our ears._

"_You two, get down here! I can barely here myself speak into the phone. Get your breakfast or else I'm feeding it to the birds with you as dessert!" Our mom yelled. As usual, she was probably in her pin strait suit with hair severely combed into a knot at the crook of her neck. Even on his birthday, sparing the day would have cost her more, in her mind at least. She was on a business call which meant our foolish game had to stop. Little did she know, the game was just beginning._

I woke with a feeling of longing and nostalgia. That quickly was altered to a feeling of unfamiliarity and bewilderment. The room that had held my vacant body while I traveled the unsteady roads of the dream realm was not my own or of Villa Crescente. The dark red curtains to my right withheld most of the light coming from the window, so there was no way to see what was lying less than two feet away from me. I twisted my body to look to my left. Hard and solid wood French doors lay slightly ajar letting in the slightest sliver of reflected light off of the cracked marble exterior beyond. My eyes, though fully rested, wanted more sleep for it was of the normal teenage habit to succumb to the slightest chance of being lazy. The room faded to the back of my eyelids once more-

"Ah sleeping beauty awakes from her dream filled slumber," a voice said from within the walls of the shadowy area which was my direct front view. It sounded of the low chime of a church bell, but with an air of mischief and whimsicality. At once I sought to believe it female, but all of the voices from my memory made no effort to evoke this distinct intonation. Perhaps this was still a dream, or maybe a hallucination that had been brought forth from my unconscious mind. I blinked and squinted into the darkness until all that accomplished was me making myself dizzy with exertion. I sighed then answered with a hoarse morning tone heavy with sleep.

"Sleeping and dreaming I may have been, but of beauty I am not." I could actually _feel_ the person in close proximity to me smile through the small void that separated us. "Who are you?" The voice chortled to itself; it made the moment tenser for me who found no wit at the time.

"I am of the Volturi and one of the wives, Sulpicia. I can not blame you for not remembering. You fainted while you were in meeting with my husband. The pain was too much after not feeling it for a while, and also because you aggravated it shortly after you were anesthetized by Alec." –At the mention of the name Alec my body convulsed with electricity, though its source and reason could not be found- "My dear friend and sister-in-law and I were instructed to bring you to a room where we would clean you and wash your clothes. I was surprised you stayed comatose throughout the whole incident." Red blood cells found their way through my veins to my cheeks where they burned bright. I had just realized I was naked and bearing all to this stranger. The material of the oppressive comforter did not seem to be thick enough no matter how much I bunched it around my body. Again the voice chuckled with amusement.

"Do not worry for I have seen it all before. No one else but my sister and I saw you in the state you are now in. Your skin is quite unique. The contusions seemed to vanish as well as all of your open flesh wounds. Your healing abilities are quite unusual. For one to have so many wounds, yet leave no scar to tarnish the insubstantial membrane beneath is no small feat. Surely this is quite unorthodox," the voice said. She was right in her observations. My skin had been since I could remember an invincible shield against Mother Nature's harsh elements and the every now and then out break from other people. No matter how badly I was wounded, all it took was one night of fitful rest and I would be fine come next morning. The doctors had no way of diagnosing my sped up healing ability. They had me stuffed inside a chlorine reeking room where multiple tests were run. Luckily for me I wasn't afraid of the needle. They concluded that I had an accelerated cell reconstruction like none they had seen before. I was opted to become one of their science experiments, but I ran out of the building before the orderly could whip out the clip board with my death sentence neatly printed in block letters and the occasional sign-on-the-dotted-line. It came to this: faster growth of cells lead to a perfect sheet of skin to protect my brittle bones underneath.

"I have a condition where the cells in my body are able to regenerate faster then those of another. They say it was hereditary because my father had the same effect whenever he was injured."

"Interesting indeed. I will be sure to take note of that. Your clothes are hanging inside your bathroom, but they might still be damp." I guessed that since they were still damp I had not slept that long. "The bathroom to my left is yours. One of the wives will come by to check on your necessities. We are not maids; only helpers so keep in mind you are to keep your room in an acceptable condition." I had lost her on bathroom, because I had no idea of what would be thought of me at home or at Villa Crescente.

"Miss? What seems to be bothering you all of a sudden?" I froze, noticing my current position: starring down at the soft comforter and bunching it with wrinkles where my fists held tight in my slender fingered grip.

"I wanted to know what would happen to my mom and teacher. By now they would surely send out people to find me. The Italian paper will undoubtedly have my face in the missing person's section. All of my possessions are in my room back at my villa and I have no money to buy new clothes. "

"There are many ways to deal with the problems you have just mentioned. For starters, Chelsea, one of our own guard, has the power to persuade people to thinking a certain way depending on the relationship the person possesses. Your teacher may very well be under her spell and will not even think about you and will otherwise be seemingly occupied with more important issues. Your mother will most likely still think you are on vacation, so there is no immediate panic for that. When the time arises we will deal with it. For now you are tied to us completely, are you not?" she asked innocently, making sure to test my loyalty to the Volturi. I gave her no sign of rebellion or of infidelity.

"I gave you my word. You have no fear for I keep the promises I make."

"Lovely dear, I think in no time at all you will find yourself accustomed to our lifestyle. As for the clothes and personal items, it is too risky for you to go back to retrieve them. Your… acquaintances will recognize you at once making them vulnerable to be…dealt with properly." She said that menacingly without even meaning too. I could tell she was trying to make my conversion easier by leaving out the gruesome details, but that did not sway the fact that I had not had the chance to properly say goodbye. My mother may not have cared where I was, but I wanted to make sure she did not push herself too hard without me there. I had responsibilities to my family before my own life. She continued when she saw I had her attention once more.

"Food is not an issue. Our personal chef may handle your meal requirements. They will be brought to your room at the strict hours of 9, 12, and 6. Is there anything else I am missing? Oh and if you need any products from the supermarket, any of the guard not on a missions will more than likely be happy to accompany you or retrieve anything of the sort themselves. Any questions?"

"I think you have answered them all."

"Well then let us be off. It is time you see the castle in all its beauty. I will be giving you a tour." I looked down at my body. My birthday suit was not the best choice for a tour of the castle on my first day. "I will have Heidi go out and buy you a new outfit."

"I am sure that is not necessary. I am not sure how I would be able to repay you. I can scrounge around for-"

"Don't be silly my dear. This trite thing will not be bothered with. Here, you will wear my cloak and we will meet Heidi downstairs." The sound of shuffling echoed off of the interior walls and was followed by a cloak shoved in my general direction. The cloak felt soft against my fingers. From what I could make out, it was made of fine red velvet. The material felt weightless against my body as I slipped it on and tied the sash around my waist. _No need to flash anyone even if it is a big castle._

Once we were out in the sunlight with day just a new bud, I relaxed a bit because I saw who I had been talking to. This woman was of average height and proportions. Here hair was tied into a mess of swirls in the back of her head accomplishing to be both formal and casual at the same time. Her eyes were the same shade of crimson as were all of the vampires, but somehow I got the impression that they had seen worse days. Her simple tee length black sarong dress swished around her legs adding a vision of grace and eloquence. Sulpicia quietly closed my doors and turned to face me.

"Now shall we get started?"

Nothing special popped out at me as something to behold until we got to the second floor on the east wing. A door was yawning open in the fresh air circulating through the hallway. The slightest crack let me gaze inside and it was all I needed. White covers blanketed the sleeping pieces of furniture underneath. Dust mites danced in the air, catching the sunlight as they passed through the slanted rays burning from the high ceilinged windows. An unconcealed piece laid farther back in the room. The black sheen stared back at me, mocking my distance from outside. I focused harder. The object was a misshapen triangle with curved edges. It was held up by three pegs each looking to be equally distributed. There was a smaller rectangular object near the flat side of the triangle. It was held up with four legs and of lower height. This was nothing unusual, but it excited me all the same. It was a piano laid in a bedspread of dust. My fingers started itching to play the keys, to make the strings come alive with melodious vibrations that were the very essence of art. I had taken lessons when I was little, though I stopped when my brother had died. I couldn't function just playing for myself. I needed an audience. I needed someone who would do more then just listen.

"Oh yes, the music room. We have had a few issues in the past with that. Out of all of the rooms, I must say that this one has "influenced" us the most. In a world of eternity my dear things can start to lose their meaning and worth. Music though has been a gift that transcends time." She took one last glance towards the room as if she were paying respects. I saw her eyes go to another place and I felt embarrassed to be intruding on such a delicate subject so important to her. The emotion was wiped off just as quickly as it had appeared.

Soon, we were on our way again and heading toward an open arena walled in by four gigantic barricades of stone. They were so high; the only thing you could see above their apex was the clear blue sky unscathed by any wisps of clouds. It must have been a 4 story drop, but then again I wasn't about to test my theory. Bright sunlight glared down from above and green grass sprouted about the long buried stones sprinkled here and there. Some vampires were fighting in the center of the green. Even though they were trying very hard to kill the other person in friendly combat, I couldn't hold in my wonderment. The flips and dives looked like trapeze tricks the way they seemed to throw each other about, only not while suspended in the air.

The scene grew and faded just like I was on a train passing through a tunnel. We arched around to a long hallway that intersected into another, then down an elevator. In no time the same doors I had entered from a day ago rose to greet me again like an old friend. Out of all of the doors I had walked through and I had to pick this one. Lucky me.

"So this is the newest member. I knew I picked a good one when I saw her. Might I say, you are rather juicy." Heidi said, never taking her eyes off me. Then she giggled to herself. I met her eyes, the weird shade of purple that had interested me since the time I had met her. My guard went up, rescinding to a point where I wanted nothing to do with her. I had trusted her once to guide me around and that ended in the worst way possible. It would take some time before I could trust her again. "Too bad we wasted you. Your blood reminds me of that Cullen girl. I would have had fun ripping-"

"Heidi," Sulpicia chided, "she is our newest member and a welcomed guest here. I would warn you to watch your manners."

"As you wish. My opinion doesn't matter anyway." She started out with a pivot off of her shiny black boots. I hesitated then looked over at Sulpicia who nodded her head then turned to go back inside the castle. Heidi noticed my absence and shouted from a few feet ahead, "Come human, you're with me now."

Apparently her nice tour guide façade had vanished when she wasn't planning to kill me.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked when I had caught up to her speedy stride.

"Down to the main square then to the upper class district then we will wind our way back here." She used her hands to demonstrate the numerous turns and twists in our journey. Her hands somehow glowed in the hot midday sun. She had long fingers that tapered to a perfect soft point at the ends. Flawlessly manicured nails glistened making my eyes hurt. Heidi had the power to be the "fisher" as well as the "bait" which meant she was just as dangerous as the others behind the perfect impression that she conveyed to outsiders.

"I'm guessing you really know your way around."

"You could say that. I know the best spots for finding a good meal." _Haha_ (mind my sarcastic tone). "Volterra has been my home ever since Aro bit me over 3000 years ago. I've had my fair share of years finding my place in this mad existence. What's it to you?"

"You've been around for a long time then. It's just… have you seen a lot in your experiences? Can you say much has changed from 1000 B.C.?"

"More then you can dare to comprehend, _poco umano_. I have come to lose what has become the most important to me. My family, my friends, my lover, and most important of all, my freedom has been lost to the great unknown. I've tried to gain those ties again, but it's just never the same. Don't get me wrong, I love to talk to Chelsea and tease Afton until he blows and catch up on the latest gossip wave, but what I really am looking for I can never find. The way my mother would laugh when my father would make a face at her, or when my sister would braid my hair or when my one and only would look at me and not think of how gorgeous I was, but how lucky he was to have me for who I was. They all made my days, however short they were, happy and full. I could die the next day and it wouldn't matter because I would know that they would be the ones that made my last breath worth it…oh I've said too much. Pretty pathetic huh?" she asked innocently on a rather heavy topic. I didn't mind though. It was better then having an awkwardly quiet walk of silence with a vampire. I didn't get to answer her because she turned her head to look in a store window. The scenery had changed without my notice.

We were on a sun baked road lined with colorful striped awnings and windows that held mannequins displaying the latest in fashion. By just going on a moderate shopper's eye, these were all out of my usual budget range as well as my range in taste.

"Come on, we only have so much time."

"I thought vampires were immortal."

She smirked, "We are, I just don't want to waste your precious time."

After all of the browsing and perusing, I had met my match. The only relatively acceptable article of clothing was a small cotton dress that was in the clearance section. I had loved it immediately for both style and price, but Heidi had turned up her perfect women-with-Botox-would-kill-for nose. I gave her a can't-win-with-them-all smile. Meanwhile Heidi had managed to find a whole stack of clothes for herself. She was interesting as a person, I had to admit. Frayed around the edges, but still whole enough to get through.

"I've needed this trip. Aro hardly lets me out for pleasure. How can you have only found one thing?"

"How can you have so many things to find?"

"Only a coward answers a question with a question."

"Only a person too curious for their own good gets annoyed by it." Heidi looked at me with a gleam in her purple eyes.

"We should get back. I need to get "dinner". Would you like to pick up anything on the way?"

I shook my head. I had actually had a good time with Heidi and wanted it to last. The castle was my current residence, but I wouldn't call it my home. Not yet, at least. Heidi sighed then walked toward the exit then waited at the door for me to follow. This was a change from the beginning of the day when she would just shout "Human!" and not even look back. With one last look at my freedom, I headed out with her into the golden and fading daylight.

* * *

**Alec's POV**

My day so far? Reading in the library and watching the sun make its daily expedition across the sea of blue which was the sky. No, that would have been what a normal person of the guard would have seen me doing. What I was really doing was looking through every memory I had ever had and at the same time, trying to keep myself from thinking of the girl from the other day. I could not risk my own unstable feelings for her because at any moment, I might have snapped. The more I delved into the problem, the harder it was to get out. My mind had become a pool of quick sand and I was sinking fast. How a memory, a fragment of the shattered dream that was my life before the Change, had uncovered such blind contempt was beyond my conception.

I was usually very good at cutting off my emotions as well as my unfortunate victim's. What you couldn't find on my face, would be lost. So when I heard an odd and obnoxious voice coming from somewhere inside the castle, I looked as if I wasn't interested one bit. If you knew me though, I'm a good spy. On the plus side, there was at least one thing that would take me away from my day long reverie. Maybe it was Felix coming back from a fight and talking things over with Demitri.

"It doesn't make you look fat!" I heard, echoing through the walls on off of the cold stone. Definitely not Felix. Vampire hearing could definitely come in handy, but for right now? Not so much. What the-?

"Oh please, you should see how it rumples here and then over here it slightly crinkles." Whoever it was was getting closer by the second. I suddenly recognized the familiar click-clack-click of Heidi's boots. Must have been the four inch today.

"I've read a book once where this woman went to Italy, India, and Bali to look for beauty in itself. She sounds a lot like you Heidi. I think it was called _Eat Pray Love._"

"Honey, I was here when books were _invented_ and I've never had so much as in inkling to pick one up, so don't bother with it now. Long lost cause, sweetheart, though I commend you for trying."

"I really think it will help you find the spark in life, or afterlife, that you've been looking for. I'll see what I can do. All of this walking has made me tired. I'm going to bed I think. Good night, Heidi."

"Good night."

"Oh and Heidi?"

"Yes, pumpkin?"

"Thank you. You know, for today."

"No problem. I can honestly say you weren't terrible to be in proximity with." Wow that was a lot for Heidi to confess to anyone. Who was this girl? She had managed to crack a fragile layer of hard skin so easily and in one short day. In the afterlife, routine meant order and order meant survival. Survival not in the sense of protecting one's life, but enduring the days that stretched like a never ending chain of events. That chain had linked me to a vow of servitude and complete loyalty. I was bound by the very grip that was so close to suffocating me into madness. I thought of Jane and her way of handling this torture. It was like a game of cat and mouse to her. She found enjoyment out of the pain of others with an actual smile on her small and full face. It would take me almost one third of a millennium to recognize that smile as part of Jane the _vampire_ and not Jane _my sister. _A change within the Change. This was all too confusing for me. I looked down to my hands. The very tips of my hair, the fringe off of my bangs I was too lazy to cut, tangled with my eyelashes and then slid into my eyes. I flipped my head hoping to swish my bangs away from my face then ran my fingers through my hair when they just returned to their original place. My palms touched my perpetual bruises underneath my eyes reminding me that I had not met my thirst's requirements for blood.

Then, I smelled it. The sweet and intoxicating liquid that circulated through the thin veins connected like web work throughout the body. An alcoholic part of my mind yearned for a single drop of the ruby red treasure. That was when I saw her for the second time. She stood there; face blank revealing nothing, a big change from the tone of her voice from a moment ago. Her arms rested lightly on the intricate wood work of the door frame. She was beautiful in the golden swathes of sunlight from the bay window which I was sitting beside. My shadow arched towards hers, barely touching her figure from across the room. One bound and I would replace my shadow and come to face her. I tensed my muscles waiting to spring, though I kept my face a reflection of her own ice cold calm that portrayed nothing but apathy. Before I could move an inch, her lips parted and uttered three simple words.

"Are you ok?"

If only she knew. It was better she didn't know my plight. I controlled my thirst as much as I could.

"Just stay away from me."

"I'm guessing that's a no. Don't worry I'm not here to bother you, though I dare to say that's already be accomplished and I'm sorry about that. I came to find a book, since this _is_ a library." I could have ended her life in a second and she had the nerve to joke? She shuffled about among the shelves and muttered to herself. Five minutes passed. I was counting down the minutes of how long I could hold out. Finally she sighed.

"It's not here. I'm sorry to have bothered you for nothing."

"You've already apologized. You're forgiven. Though, you might be sorry if you don't leave immediately."

"Well you could have fooled me." She swiveled around to leave while cutting the air and sending a wave of her scent my way. I couldn't take it any longer. My instincts were kicking in and acting fast. In the back of my mind, I knew I would regret being rude, so I quickly blurted out.

"Stay. I'll be right back. Please, make yourself comfortable." She froze in her tracks. I caught a glimpse of her perfect profile as she shifted her head slightly to look back in my direction. The decision was hers, though I didn't stay long enough to find out because the cool wind of a promising to be starry night pulled my mind from that very moment as I headed into the twilight.

**A/N: Thank you for reading! Please review!**


	6. Chapter 5 Dinner for two

**A/N: School's almost here! oh yay! no really, who says that anymore? Anyways the song for this chapter is Thnks Fr Th Mmrs by Fallout boy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. SM owns.**

I felt a rush of wind, and then there was nothing. Silence was louder than the sound. A scent of cinnamon and mint was left behind. I held to its lingering presence until it disappeared all together into that of leather and paper. My aching limbs could not hold my weight any longer. I paused for a second then stepped back into the threshold that was the library. Titles upon titles filled the shelves with stories that were just waiting to be read. It was amazing how some could just suck you into an alternate universe with just one sentence. I passed them all by to sit on the leather couch that sunk with my small but tired frame. The soft leather cradled me while I searched the space that was all around me. An office lamp faintly glowed on a thick desk, sending light shadows across the room. Shelves so high that there was a sliding ladder reached for the ceiling. A long bay window showed a sliver of land on the outside. The city of Volterra stretched out to end at a limitless patchwork of farms and countryside beyond that of the solid structures of the stone houses. Outside, the stars twinkled with all of their might.

My favorite part of the evening was when the night blended with the day to where you couldn't tell which was to come next. That was when I thought the night would allow the day to sleep. A book lay on the table next to the couch. I picked it up examining it with curiosity and read the title of the book in my hands.

_Where the Wild Things Are by Maruice Sendak_

What? Who would be reading this? I had never read something like this before. I cracked the well worn spine as it had been done many times before and started to read. There were monsters, princes, and no supper. In a world where there were ferocious monsters with grotesque features, a boy crossed over the boundary of imagination and to this land of fiends. There, he befriended them and became their king. All along this was paradise compared to his home before, but soon he finds that there are things that could not be found there like at home. The love of a family can not compare. Page after page I read until the stars had moved making the same journey since the beginning of time. I noticed the parallel between Max and me. We both were surrounded by monsters that only normal people wouldn't give a second glance. We both knew though that they were all too real to us. I gently closed the back cover and noticed for the first time, a presence in the room. Instantly, I looked around to scan a 360°. He was there. And he was watching me.

Alec leaned against a bookcase with his arms crossed and one foot propped against the side of the left panel of a well stocked shelf. For the first time, I got to get a good look at him. His burgundy eyes were brighter and the black shadows underneath looked like he had been knocked around a few times. He had a gray three piece suit on. His milk chocolate brown hair curled at the tips raising just a fraction of an inch above those burgundy eyes outlined by a curtain of black eyelashes that could have reached all the way to the Alps Mountains (I always wondered why boys were so lucky to get the eyelashes that they couldn't care less about and girls would do hours of primping to even get close to. Not fair). The structure of his body was leanly muscled and broad. Full lips curled into a half smirk and I couldn't stop staring at them. We both stayed like that, starring at each other and making our assumptions. I found the silence growing thin so I was the first to speak.

"Have a nice walk?" Unblinkingly he answered.

"It was fine."

Silence.

"So you're Alec. The one who almost killed me the other day."

"I assure you it was nothing personal." I caught onto a wave that was different than before. There was a slight change in his "aura". But why would he have anything to do with me?

"I'll keep that in mind the next time you try that. No offense or anything towards me. Just the fact that you are about to end my life."

"And you are Aerie, the girl who has something worth giving to the Volturi."

"I guess you can say that. My mother thought I could become something in the world. Bet she never guessed I would join a group of vampires. But then again that was when I had a choice; I'm just a human-for now anyways." He smirked. I almost smiled then, "What about you? You wouldn't be here taking up space if you weren't of some use to Aro."

"You've already had the preview of what I can do."

Oh, right. When I had hurt my foot, he had somehow managed to numb the pain as well as all of my sense of feeling. The memory was blurry from pain, but I still remembered enough. So he was Mr. Illusionist, the one and only who could make you go "untouched".

"I remember. You can give the illusion of not feeling pain."

"That's… part of it." Confusion was my first instinct, and then curiosity overwhelmed me. He could do more? Of course I wanted to blurt out "Show me." But that wasn't too smart. For all I knew, he could probably do worse then kill me. To know all of the powers, if everyone did have powers, was priority number one. If anything else, getting to know who and what everyone was could help me get a grip on the situation. Knowledge seemed priceless here.

"I'm not sure whether or not I should be curious."

"You should watch out for-"He cut his sentence midway. A strange look flickered in his eyes, but only for a second. Brown fringe caught in his long lashes while he cocked his head to the side as if listening for something. I strained my ears so that I could catch whatever had made him stop. I heard it then, the sound of feet shuffling on the stone floor and also a low hum. Alec wrinkled his nose and I realized who it was. It was the cook coming to bring me my dinner. I had looked around earlier for the time of day only to be disappointed. Funny thing was that there were no clocks in the castle. A vampire didn't really need to keep time since it was utterly useless.

The cook being of middle age and dressed in a simple white uniform and scalloped hat came into the room. His expression was calm and composed until he saw Alec's backside. _I don't think Alec's backside looks that bad- _then I silently scolded myself. I must have made a weird face because Alec raised an eyebrow curiously. His attention was back to the chef in a second so he half turned his head and nodded in my general direction. The cook stepped cautiously past Alec, who stared at him with ice cold intensity. By then, the whole tray was bouncing like a kid on Red Bull. He set it down on the table in front of me before anything major could spill over the sides. I really didn't want to be eating spaghetti off of the floor. With a quick mumble of "Bon appetite", he pivoted around and sped out of the door like his pants were on fire. For all I knew they could have been. Maybe Alec was a pyromaniac at heart.

I uncurled my long stiff legs and attempted to stand up. My foot caught on a warm and squishy subtance that I guessed was a meatball, sending me sprawling. One moment I was flailing in the air like a bird, and then I was covered with meat sauce and I had a sore tailbone. The moments in between went a little like this: I had caught onto the table to balance myself, then Alec had come over to help me up, but when he did, he moved too fast as to knock over the tray. Food was sent though the air on a mad dash to floor and all over me and Alec. I wasn't sure whether or not to be embarrassed or hysterical. I chose option one.

"I am so sorry." I said as Alec wiped spaghetti noodles from his hair. They matched very well with his thick hair, both were long and straight. Tomato sauce, the color of his eyes, dripped from the side of his face from his temple to his chin where it succumbed to gravity and dived for the floor that was sea of Italian paraphernalia. He looked like a waterfall of noodle and smelled of garlic. Now I knew the legend of garlic was a fluke after all.

He didn't smile, but quickly stood up and pulled me with him, none too gently, while the last pieces of food dove to meet the rest below. His hand was cold and hard with a grip of iron steel and his face was turned so that I wouldn't be able to see whatever emotion was displayed there. A last standing meatball rolled past my foot then stayed silently still as it came to a stop. The sauce had given the floor a red tinge.

"You aught to be more careful," was all he said, showing no hint of anger or annoyance. He slowly walked on ahead with his hand still clasped tightly around my thin wrist. I followed diligently, thinking of all of the possible means of escape and my short foreseeable future that lay figuratively and literally in Alec's hands. I had seen before how fast a vampire would be able to go from lackadaisical to lethal in mere seconds. The animalistic way of hunting for their prey had gotten me terrified at first then intrigued. Would this monster himself surrender to his emotions or defy what had been established as law by his master? Was his will the driving force or his fear? I was about to find out.

Twists and turns familiar to Alec alone lay like a labyrinth with a destination unknown. It was considerably cooler with the night's chilly breath on my shoulders. Doors scared with age passed by with no markers to show possession. Perhaps they were as empty as that of the music room with no one to fill the space. Sad memories seemed to linger in every nook and cranny just waiting for the right person to listen to their plight. Soon, I found my finish line. An abrupt stop lead me to stand behind Alec. I peeked behind his broad frame to witness the object shrouded in a cloak of mystery. An unfamiliar door lay in front of me. It was simple enough far away, but looking more closely I could make out intricate designs similar to those of vines and twisting branches reaching for nothing in particular. Two dimly lit sconces made the only light in the darkness of the hallway. They cast shadows flickering along the walls that eerily changed positions every few seconds in a dark dance of the night.

"Stay," Alec ordered. The tension from his grip slowly lifted as finger by finger he receded into what was behind the door. A red ring appeared where his touch had been only moments ago. I traced my index finger around and around again to make sure it was real. Minutes later Alec emerged. I jumped as the door slammed shut behind him. The dragging across the castle returned to where it left off only the destination was my room. The furniture in the room flew by as I was shoved into the bathroom. Alec turned the shower, or what I thought was a shower, on to full blast and my head felt the warm droplets cascade down the strands of my brown hair. I quickly lathered up with the sweet smelling soaps standing on the side as Alec stayed close by, only separated by a thin sheet of glass that was the shower door. The sweet aromas were hypnotic in that they actually calmed my nerves. The stress of the day and the worry mixed with the light and airy bubbles all to be washed down the drain and out of Volterra.

When I got out, my dress was soaked through and had a big red stain in the shoulder area, all down my back, and where I had sat down. It was completely ruined and torn where Alec had pulled too hard to maneuver me. Droplets of water hung dangerously close to falling off of the tips of my hair.

"Think fast."

A white towel was soaring towards me before I could register it. I quickly grabbed the ends and caught the absorbent fabric safely between my fingers. The towel draped around my shoulders felt like a huge cape like when I was little and Cameron and I would run around the house, our bums hanging out with shouts of laughter resounding off of the walls. As I dried my hair in a hasty manner, I noticed my clothes from when I first came to the castle. They hung on a metal rung posted firmly in the wall. I walked over to where they were. Even from a couple of feet away, I could smell the moldy scent of fungus thriving on the surface. As confirmation, my fingers went to brush the fabric that was now still damp in places and in others was stiff as a board and brittle. Inch after inch only added to the hypothesis that I couldn't wear this again. These were better left in the trash then on my body. I sighed deeply, wishing to be back in my own house with my own clothes. Villa Cresente was only a short walk away from this hell hole. I didn't even unpack my stuff. It was all tucked tightly into my suitcase. If only I could…

But I could! It would only just be a half hour at the most. I could sneak into the house and grab my suitcase without anybody noticing I was gone. It would be so easy! I didn't think I could stand looking through more racks of miscellaneous clothes even if I was with Heidi. Excitement ran wild through my veins.

"Can I uh get changed?" When Alec didn't move, I added, "Alone?" He still stood frozen, just staring at me. I was getting uncomfortable. He wasn't looking anywhere inappropriate, just near my face and my eyes…Were all undead people like this? Did too much time in the coffin make you go cookoo? I headed for the door with my moldy jeans and fluffy tank when he grabbed my arm. Were we really going through this again?

"If you're going to drag me through the castle with my heels puffing smoke then I'm out." His eyelashes fluttered, but otherwise he was solitary. Then slowly he reached for my face. I cringed where his fingertips connected with my skin, sending cold pulses down my back. Now I had done it. I had pushed too far and pissed off a vampire with my nagging. He was going to kill me.

"You have a piece of basil in your hair." I what? My hands raked my roots but came out clean as before. Alec lifted his hand to my eye level where there lay a small piece of green herb.

"Oh, thanks." Alec tilted his hand until the small fragment of green floated down to the floor. We were so close, only inches away from each other. I could smell his scent, the smell of warn cinnamon mixed with vanilla. If I had just looked up, he would be close enough to kiss. Unfortunately he backed away noticing our close proximity saying,

"Just be more careful. I don't want to have to follow you to another disaster then end up with food everywhere. Shall I arrange for a new dinner?"

"No, I think I'm ok. I'm sorry, really I am." I said disappointed. A strange emotion after the wild ride I had, which slightly resembled a rollercoaster, prodded on the empty spaces of my mind. Alec simply nodded and left without another sound as he closed the door leaving me yet again with a feeling of total confusion.

A little later, I slipped my jeans on with great effort and tried to tame my ruffled tank top. I failed almost instantly as the stiff fabric disintegrated by a mere tug or touch. The clump of cloth that was my former top sailed through the air as it landed softly in the trash pile near the corner of the room. So now I was left in a thin navy cotton camisole that was all too thin for a chillier night with only the warm after heat from the ovens as they rested for the later evening. Rustic houses with soft candlelight glowed with a luminescence that radiated warmth and vivacity below my window as I looked out beyond imaginary prison bars. With no hesitation or second glance, I unlatched the old and rusty lock on my window and flung it wide open. It yawned in the fresh and cool air that caressed my face as I breathed it in.

Lucky for me, I was only on the second floor with as trellis of vines climbing its way up to my window. On my way down, the smells of the city and exotic plants gently passed by as they rode freely in the slight breeze. When my converse (they were the only things that could have been salvaged) hit the ground, a shot of adrenaline fired up my legs and then filtered out through my entire body, sending a tingling anxiety rushing about my veins. I started at a calm walk, which sped up as I started to run. That night, I wanted to feel free and not tangled in someone else's web of deception and careful planning. Sidewalks and cobble stoned streets intermixed to form the complicated map of roads and avenues all connecting to the very heart of Volterra. Among the sightseeing was also a hunt for clues to the path I had taken when with my unfaithful tour guide.

I retraced my steps as best I could, only to ask twice when an unfamiliar street wiped out my sense of direction. An old, but cozy café glowed faintly in the dim shadows of closed down shops. Outside, people sipped wine to their leisure and added to the chorus of human conversation. The whole atmosphere was very welcoming and unassuming. A quick peed inside lead me to a surprise.

Only a few tables made up the space in the tiny building, but in one sat the old couple I had seen on my walk. They were sitting close together with the two metal chairs only inches from each other leaving the other edge of the small mosaic table bare. On top though, there was a single candle with a steady burning flame. I made the analogy that that very flame could symbolize the relationship between the old couple through the years: steadily burning with an intensity. Two wine glasses most likely filled with a sweet nighttime wine was either held by one of the two or set down on the table where it reflected the swirling square patterns of the mosaic picture beneath. They talked and laughed easily; stopping at random intervals to only stare into each other's eyes with a longing that could only be described as true love.

Envy and desire fought an ugly battle within my conscience. Envy not necessarily for either one of the old couple, but that I had not found the right person who I could spend the rest of my life with and desire to search far and wide for the boy that would do the things in fantasies: make my legs go weak, hands shaky, and heart melting with burning need. It was a pipe dream, but one that any girl could hold on to if they noticed the small things that couples showed in their small gestures of affection.

I quickly slipped away just as the man took a glance through the big glass window that separated our distance. While I did, I fell from an overhanging basket, bumping my head a good knock. Where you might think I was a graceful person, you would be only half correct. I could keep cool under normal circumstances of public display, but by myself I was a klutz. As I rubbed my head in the now sore spot, I glanced up to see a shooting star making its fiery route across the cosmos. _Make a wish_.

The light to the library was on when I crept up beside the villa where the cypress trees grew thick. I knew my windows were always locked because of my horrible fear of thieves. A Halloween prank gone wrong can do wonders in the scaring department. In the shadows cast by the yellow light from within, I snuck around to the back door with the familiar edges of the house key making an imprint on my hand as I dug it into my palms out of nerves. The metal against metal wrung clear as I jiggled the key into place. In a quick turn I was inside the grand dining room. The white floor length curtains rose and fell gently back noticing my presence. The table was set for no one in particular; ghosts as guests would seem like better substitutes then the silence that was usually present.

The way to my room seemed effortless as the different rooms lead me to my own in the encompassing darkness. I found my room exactly as I had left it, except for now my bed was made and waiting for me to curl up under the light sheets. My suitcase sat in the corner propped on a short table. Swiftly escaping to the bathroom, I collected all of my necessities then scurried back to stand beside my bags. An unprecedented sound escaped my lips as I heaved the overloaded luggage out the window. I waited nervously for a thump, but none came. A quick glance out the window lead me to see the suitcase perfectly sprawled out on the lawn. I had no time to check, though as I headed down the steps to made my grand escape.

"Aerie? Is that you?"

_Holy (insert choice cuss word)! _The maid must have heard my footsteps and come to check out the noise! Stupid suitcase was too heavy from over packing that it must have made a terrible sound from below that I had not heard. Now I had ruined the plans. What was I going to say now? Could I get out alone without being watched? How would I even begin to explain to Aro let alone the maid? I tried to find a place to hide. It wasn't very hard considering the mass amount of rooms. I mean who looks into a coat closet? It's hot all year round, so who would need to trek around town for a pizza in a freaking coat? It smelled like moth balls and musty faux furs. The slightest crack in the space between the door and the door frame was enough to get a good look outside.

The maid shuffled by in her white orthopedic shoes that squeaked in protest as they slid over the polished wood floors. Her cart of towels, soaps, and cleaning supplies scooted past as she pushed it further down the hall until it completely vanished from the restricted view I was allowed. I held my breath.

_1…2…3…_

Nothing. Then a raged breath cutting through my windpipe. Then-

"Aden! Aden c' é stato un ladro! Oh bonta di chiamare la poliza!" _"Aden! Aden there's been a thief! Oh goodness call the police!" _She said spitting out Italian faster then I could translate. Aden I knew was Mr. Knight's first name, but other then that I was lost. I sucked up my breath only to realize that I had been holding it all along. It came out louder then I had imagined so I had no other choice to clamp my hand over my mouth and hope for a miracle. The realization of my failed plans finally stung at the edges of my mind. Now there was nowhere for me to go. I had to make myself known so that she wouldn't call the cops and have a search party scour the entire countryside looking for a thief that was nonexistent.

My hand trembled at the doorknob. The usual cool touch felt like fire the way it was a rush of sensation to my rather dazed mind. My reflexes responded and bounced back knocking my elbow into the back wall. A boom sounded and my bone vibrated on impact. I rubbed the frazzled part of my arm that had been affected and turned my head to hear what was going on outside the now frail and thin wood of the door. It was there and yet it wasn't. Silence bounced off of the walls only to ring ceaselessly in my eardrums. I shoved the door open and stumbled into the dimly lit hallway. Darkness greeted me with its menacing vibes and invisible face. In my mind I imagined it cackling at me for my stupidity and felt even more ashamed for my misjudgments. Where was she? The answer did not come and I didn't wait for it. I pounded down the steps then wove my way out to the dinning room, but not before I heard someone talking in a loud and exasperated voice. I picked up bits of conversation. By the way of the choppy dialogue, I guessed the person to be on the phone.

"-but I have no way of finding her…well I'm trying at least…alright fine. I'm going to find her no matter what. She doesn't know _he's_ here and I worry that he'll get in the way of our plans…she'll be blooming soon and...alright I'll see if Aerie is on the north side tomorrow…if she doesn't cooperate, then I'll just have to-" I didn't hear the rest. Or more over, I didn't want to hear the rest. I ran the rest of the way outside in a panicked state. The more I ran, the more the door seemed to get farther and farther away. My legs hurt with exertion and my breaths were ragged in my throat. Finally the handle was at my fingertips. I yanked the door open just in time to hit my suitcase. Only a foot of space separated me from outside. I kicked at the square luggage bag and inched it out enough to slide through the door. I had only time to grab my suitcase handle when a mysterious and angelic voice called out to me,

"Where do you think you're going?"


End file.
